First published 1992
Barbara Piotrowski escaped her marriage to a wealthy Texas fitness obsessive, but freedom came at a deadly price. Her millionaire husband refused to let her go. He tracked her movements, invaded her privacy, and made her life a nightmare of constant fear. Barbara had once worn crowns and walked runways, but now she lived in terror of the man who had promised to love her. When harassment failed to bring her back, her husband chose a more permanent solution. He contacted a killer for hire and arranged Barbara's death. This true crime story follows a beautiful woman trapped by a man whose wealth gave him the power to destroy what he could not control. The case reveals how domestic abuse escalates when victims try to break free, and how money can turn obsession into murder.
Genres: domestic-fiction, crime, thriller, true-crime
Vibes: dark, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: abusive-relationship, escape
Setting: Texas
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
362 pages · Paperback · Avon Books
Content warnings: domestic-violence, murder